Something I was trying yesterday while waiting for a customer to collect a batch of frames.

[Not your average framer]

This is supposed to be distressed green grey over simulated oak. I don't think that the green grey, or the underlying oak is right just yet. I need a better contrast! I think that the green needs to be both more obviously green and needs a little white added, not grey. I also thank think that the oak colour need a bit of added red. The oak colour is currently raw umber and lacks something. I wanted a bit more texture, but the raw umber is from Daler Rowney and it not easy to produce a good texture from. The distressing did not work particularly well a boit more texture would halp helped.

Following my stroke I need to re-learn my techniques a little and use some clear acrylic mediun to lay down a really good texture first. I also need a lot more definition between my two layer of colour. I think that this technique is going to work well with more colour cobinations. I am thinking of green over oak, a darker blue over oak, a lighter blue over oak, an ivory over oak and possibly a brown over yellow ochre and traces of red.

At present it's not quite how I want it to look, but at least I know what I need to do to make it look more stunning!

[Not your average framer]

Sorry about the slightly out of focus image, I guess the camera does not work as well as it used to. When I get the chance I must get a new one!

[Not your average framer]

I think that this finish and moulding looks a bit older style and hopefull quite good for my customers living in the old cottages around here. I am also thinking that the raise bead on the outer edge trims down as araised flat feature and if you do this it looks quite modern and trendy as well. Being onlt obeche, it is not a big deal to trim down and might work well for more modern finishes such as white. I've already cut down the raised dead on a small piece so that I can see what it looks like and it actually looks very good.

I am contemplating adding a bit more depth to the side profile to enhance the appearance quite a bit. I've always had a bit of a thing about producing deeper side profiles to avoid frames looking too cheap. I am thinking that making it deeper and adding a tasteful looking slip could really look great with this particular moulding and the slip gives the added potential to add an interesting subtile little bit of extra colour. Equal parts of titanium buff dark, raw umbra and oxide red ofter look really nice on modern looking frames, with a fairly narrow slip.